Egg cup

ABSTRACT

An egg cup having a cap and base wherein the cap in an upright position engages with the base to prevent loss of heat from the egg and wherein the cap can be inverted and utilized to hold the egg while the egg is being broken.

[111 3,713,528 Jan. 30, 1973 1,898,654 2/1933Breslauer..........I....,.......229/DIG. I4 D199,461 10/1964 [54] EGGCUP Dailey .r..D44/9 Irvan A Inventors:

Robert Daenen, Erembodegem,

FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2,606,708 Belgium; James B. Swett,Barrington, R1.

[ Assignee: Industries, L05 Angeles, 492,512 9/1938GreatBritain..........................2I1/14 Calif.

Primary Examiner-Leonard Summer Attorney-Leigh B. Taylor, Paul R. Wylieand Harold R. Beck 22 Filed: May 1,1970 21 AppI.N0.: 33,731

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A 6 8 Rd tm .m.m H Vum fi m n umwa m .w d www m 1 euwmwm rlAawmb 6 G IDiln w s 2. A2 m mh U IF 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS Danen et PATENTEDJANSO I975 3,713,528

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ATTORNEY EGG cur This invention concerns an improved egg cup. Egg cupsknown in the prior art were inadequate for several reasons. After a hotegg was placed into a prior art egg cup, it was necessary to hold theegg with the fingers in order to crack the shell. It was uncomfortableto hold the hot egg and the fingers would occasionally become burned. Ifthe egg were cooled for the purpose of holding the egg so that the shellcould be easily cracked, the contents of the shell would also becomecooled and therefore become unappetizing. It was not easy to keep an egghot for a prolonged period of time using a prior art egg cup since heatsimply radiated from the egg into the surrounding space.

The problems inherent in prior art egg cups have been eliminated by theimproved egg cup herein disclosed. The inventive, new and improved eggcup comprises a cap and a base characterized in that the cap isdepressed to hold the egg while the shell of the egg is being broken.The cap may also engage the base to prevent rapid loss of heat from theegg.

An object of this invention is to provide a new and improved egg cupwhich will prevent rapid cooling of the egg. Another object of thisinvention is to provide a new and improved egg cup which will providemeans for holding the egg while the shell is being broken.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent throughout thefollowing specification.

FIG. 1 is a top perspective exploded view showing a preferred embodimentof the inventive egg cup.

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the eggcup showing the cap engaged with the base.

FIG. 3 is a bottom plan view of the cap.

FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the base.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a top perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the eggcup in accordance with this invention showing the use of the cap forholding the egg while the shell of the egg is being broken.

As shown in FIGS. 1,2,5, and 6 the invention comprises an egg containerhaving a cap 10 and a base 11 wherein the cap 10 has a substantiallyellipsoidal cavity 18 for holding the egg while the shell of the egg isbeing broken.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention as best seenin FIGS. 2 and 5 the cap 10 engages in an upright position with base 11.As best seen in FIG. 6 cap 10 can be inverted and used as a holder forthe egg while the shell of the egg is being broken.

In accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention, the eggcontainer comprises a base 11 and cap 10 wherein the base 11 comprisesfirst upstanding sidewalls 12 and an upper surface 13. The upper surface13 is provided with a substantially ellipsoidal depression 14 forholding the egg while the egg is being eaten. Upper surface 13 isprovided with an upstanding peripheral flange 15. The flange assists inengaging cap 10 when the cap 10 is placed in an upright position uponthe base. The cap 10 has second upstanding sidewalls l6 and a topsurface 17. The top surface is provided with a substantially ellipsoidalconcavity 18. The ellipsoidal concavity 18 in cap 10 is used to assistin holding the egg, as shown in FIG. 6, while the egg is being broken.The second upstanding sidewalls 16 are provided with longitudinallyextending ribs 21, said sidewalls terminating at their lower end in abottom edge 19 which defines a space 20 having a dimension permittingsaid second upstanding sidewalls 16 to slip over said upstandingperipheral flange 15, so that said ribs engage said flange. Theellipsoidal depression 14 in base 11 holds the egg and cap 10 covers thetop of the egg when cap 10 is engaged with base 11 as best seen in FIG.5. In th: preferred embodiment of the invention bottom edge 19 restsupon upper surface 13 when cap 11 is fully engaged with the upstandingperipheral flange 15.

The prior art problems are solved by the foregoing described structurefor the inventive egg cup in that cap 10 and base 11 cooperate toprevent heat loss from the egg when cap 10 is engaged in an uprightposition with base 11 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5. Ribs 21 tightly engageupstanding flange 15, while permitting slight ingress and egress of airand vapor from the space enclosed by said cap and said base. Air andvapor are permitted to pass between the ribs so that a vacuum will notform due to cooling which would make the cap difficult to remove and sothat the cap will not be blown off due to increased pressure formedbecause of heated air resulting from a hot egg being placed within theenclosed space. The ribs also result in the formation of a strongengagement between the cap and base. If the ribs were not provided, theinside diameter of the cap would have to be almost exactly equal to theoutside diameter of the upstanding flange. The ribs permit a strongengagement while permitting a greater tolerance in the differencebetween the inside diameter of the cap and the outside diameter of theupstanding flange.

As best seen in FIG. 6 the foregoing inventive structure is also used topermit breaking the shell of the egg without requiring engagement of thefingers with the hot egg.

What is claimed is:

l. A container for an egg having a cap and a base,

said cap and base being adapted to mutually engage and enclose said eggto protect said egg from rapid loss of heat, said base comprising firstupstanding sidewalls and an upper surface, said surface being providedwith a depression for holding said egg, said cap having secondupstanding sidewalls and a top surface having a concavity, said secondupstanding sidewalls terminating at their lower end in a bottom edgeadapted to engage said base to enclose said egg, said top concavitybeing adapted to engage said egg when the cap is inverted. 2. The eggcontainer claimed in claim 1 wherein said bottom edge rests upon saidupper surface when said cap is fully engaged with said upstandingperipheral flange.

3. The container of claim 1 wherein said upper surface of said base isprovided with an upstanding peripheral flange and said second upstandingsidewalls and said bottom edge define a space having a dimensionpermitting engagement of the inside of said second sidewalls with theouter surface of said upstanding peripheral flange.

4. The container of claim 3 wherein said inside of said second sidewallis provided with longitudinally extending ribs adapted to engage saidperipheral flange in a manner permitting slight air and vapor flowbetween said ribs and said flange to prevent the formation of a vacuumor a pressure buildup.

1. A container for an egg having a cap and a base, said cap and basebeing adapted to mutually engage and enclose said egg to protect saidegg from rapid loss of heat, said base comprising first upstandingsidewalls and an upper surface, said surface being provided with adepression for holding said egg, said cap having second upstandingsidewalls and a top surface having a concavity, said second upstandingsidewalls terminating at their lower end in a bottom edge adapted toengage said base to enclose said egg, said top concavity being adaptedto engage said egg when the cap is inverted.
 1. A container for an egghaving a cap and a base, said cap and base being adapted to mutuallyengage and enclose said egg to protect said egg from rapid loss of heat,said base comprising first upstanding sidewalls and an upper surface,said surface being provided with a depression for holding said egg, saidcap having second upstanding sidewalls and a top surface having aconcavity, said second upstanding sidewalls terminating at their lowerend in a bottom edge adapted to engage said base to enclose said egg,said top concavity being adapted to engage said egg when the cap isinverted.
 2. The egg container claimed in claim 1 wherein said bottomedge rests upon said upper surface when said cap is fully engaged withsaid upstanding peripheral flange.
 3. The container of claim 1 whereinsaid upper surface of said base is provided with an upstandingperipheral flange and said second upstanding sidewalls and said bottomedge define a space having a dimension permitting engagement of theinside of said second sidewalls with the outer surface of saidupstanding peripheral flange.